Apple Pay, Apple’s mobile payments option, is available in the United States and the United Kingdom right now, but rollouts in other regions are part of the plan.
There have been a few teases that Pay could be launching in Canada soon, but as far as Australia is concerned there hasn’t been much talk recently. Back in August of this year it was reported that Pay could have been delayed on the continent due to negotiations with banks over transaction fees.
However, that could be changing soon if Apple Maps is any indicator. According to several different users in the AppleTalk Australia forums, the Apple Pay badge has begun appearing on some retailers’ listings within Apple Maps, including Woolworths and Coles supermarkets. The Pay badge is a typical indication that a retailer accepts Apple’s mobile payments option, so the arrival of the badge, even before a formal announcement, could be a sign of things to come.
Interestingly enough, the badges that are appearing on the aforementioned supermarket locations are only present near large cities, like Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne, while other locations not near those cities don’t show the badge. On top of that, mega chains like McDonald’s aren’t showing the badge, even near the big cities. As it stands, it’s not a clear indicator of anything, especially without a formal announcement from Apple, or even banks letting customers know of an impending arrival, but it could be a hint of a future launch.
If you’re in Australia, are you looking forward to Apple Pay’s arrival?
[via MacRumors; Apple Talk Australia]
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